Planned Parenthood president discusses future of reproductive rights
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Volume 52, Issue 14
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Parents: raising gender neutral kids is about choice
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CPD Superintendent: ‘Law enforcement is under scrutiny like never before’ FOR THE FIRST time in history, the Chicago Police Department is asking for community input on its Use of Force policy to improve “de-escalation” techniques and the “sanctity of life” as well as repair recent distrust between police and citizens, according to CPD Superintendent Eddie Johnson. The Union League Club—an organization that promotes community participation in civic, philanthropic and cultural affairs, located at 65 W. Jackson Blvd.— hosted Johnson, along with Chicago Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick, Nov. 29 to present and discuss the department’s new Use of Force policy draft. “If you look across the country, law enforcement is under scrutiny like never before,” Johnson said. “Having said that, we can fix this.” Johnson said CPD has already received solid feedback on the policy and encouraged others to provide insight until the
Dec. 5 deadline. Civilians can view or make recommendations on the draft on the department’s website. “A draft policy in the public domain for [the community] to comment on is transparency in practice,” Kirkpatrick said. “It is not cheap talk, and that takes courage.” According to the draft, force has been defined for the first time as “any physical effort by a department member to compel compliance by an unwilling subject.” CPD officers are required to use physical force only when there is no reasonable alternative and must use the least amount of force necessary based on the circumstance, the draft states. The draft defines deadly force as “force that is likely to cause death or great bodily harm.” This includes—but is not limited to—an application of a chokehold, striking a subjects’ head with a hard or into a hard, fixed object or use of a firearm. CPD officers are only permitted to use deadly force in order to prevent death or “great bodily harm” from an immediate threat, the draft states.
» MARIA CARDONA/CHRONICLE
Part-time faculty union members voted 213-8 to join the Service Employees International Union Nov. 29, according to Diana Vallera, P-Fac president and adjunct professor in the Photography Department.
Part-time faculty vote to join new parent union
»G-JUN YAM/CHRONICLE
» ANDREA SALCEDO LLAURADO CAMPUS EDITOR
CLAPPING AND LAUGHING could be heard outside of a classroom in the 624 S. Michigan Ave. Building as members of Columbia’s part-time faculty union counted affiliation votes to join the Service Employees International Union. With 213 votes in favor and 8 votes against, union members voted Nov. 29 to affiliate with SEIU, according to Diana Vallera, P-Fac president and adjunct professor in the Photography Department. SEIU is a labor union with 2 million members. Representatives from the parent union did not respond for comment as of press time. Vallera said she was excited about joining SEIU because it is a “perfect fit” for the union, focused on social justice issues. “We want to be able to make a living wage, have a voice in the workplace [and] security in our jobs,” Vallera said. “That’s a lot of what SEIU is doing.”
Vallera said she hopes the affiliation will help the union have equal representation with the college at the bargaining table when contract negotiations begin next year. David Arieti, adjunct professor in the Science & Mathematics Department and the department’s union representative, said the decision to affiliate is the right step for the union because it will give P-Fac better labor relations. “Now we will be able to have our grievances met quicker than [what] we used to have [as well as] resolved in a positive way,” Arieti said. In a Nov. 29 emailed statement sent to The Chronicle by college spokeswoman Anjali Julka on behalf of Terence Smith, the college’s special counsel for labor relations, the college will continue working with P-Fac regardless of its affiliation. “We will continue to work productively and positively with P-Fac, whether it be an independent union or an affiliated local,” the email stated.
SEE P-FAC, PAGE 11
METRO REPORTER
SEE JOHNSON, PAGE 39
» ERIC BRADACH
» staff
EDITOR’S NOTE
Post-election assembly college was needed long ago
MANAGEMENT
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF MANAGING EDITORS
» MEGAN BENNETT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
I
n journalism school, students are quickly taught one of the most important elements of news: timeliness. Aspiring reporters are told that doing a story or creating relevant work has to be quick in response to an event, especially with national crises. I was reminded of this lesson when the college hosted a panel of administration, faculty and one student to discuss post-election responses three weeks after the Nov. 8 election, as reported on Page 4. The College Assembly was a good idea and showed Columbia a more human side to the college’s leaders. However, it was too late. During the last few weeks, Columbia’s community—with the help of lower-level offices or employees—has begun to pick themselves up again on their own. The college choosing to now host an official assembly shows a lag in attempts to streamline communication and events, which can have drastic effects on collegewide morale while faculty, staff and students wait for proper, thoughtful response. The News Office confirmed Columbia has formal crisis communication plan like those typically in place at colleges or universities, but does not publish it. While not the first post-election event or announcement, the College Assembly was the first one that addressed all members of the college community. It came two weeks after the Nov. 14 email President and CEO Kwang-Wu Kim sent to students with his post-election thoughts, which The Chronicle’s Editorial Board pointed out Nov. 21 was a message that should have been sent out sooner like those from other Chicago institutions. Student Health and Support hosted one other event Nov. 17 to address student concerns that was attended by Kim but not directed toward faculty and staff, who also deserve equal communication because of their direct role in students’ day-to-day lives. This election’s outcome is unsettling for many people at the college, such as Dean of the School of Fine & Performing Arts Onye Ozuzu who admitted she struggled with how to address the results. Regardless, events like the assembly would have made more sense if done in a timely manner. Columbia may be better late than never with this panel, especially because putting together a panel of thoughtful, influential 2 THE CHRONICLE DECEMBER 5, 2016
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COPY college players may take time and Kim has COPY CHIEF Abby Lee Hood already addressed students. This may be COPY EDITORS Carolyn Bradley acceptable at another institution, one that James Firkins does not pride itself on its diversity and GRAPHICS strides with equity and inclusion, but not at Columbia. This community, more than SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER Zoë Haworth GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Sarah Impola those at institutions that are predominantly Gabriel de la Mora white or male, needed quick, state-of-emerJames Tsitiridis gency reaction to the election results with everyone ready to drop their current tasks PHOTOGRAPHY for the security of the students. SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR G-Jun Yam In addition to the counseling event, some PHOTO EDITORS Erin Brown took it upon themselves to provide a safe Maria Cardona Wesley Herold place for the college community after seeing a lack of official response, as reported Nov. MULTIMEDIA 21 by The Chronicle. Through social media, MULTIMEDIA REPORTER McKayla Braid these students and one faculty member met at the 1104 S. Wabash Ave. Building on Nov. 15 to discuss their response to Trump. ADVERTISING In the future, should a similar incident MARKETING CONSULTANTS Noah Kelly cause as much discontent and worry, these Conrad Queen students could actively seek out members of the administrative cabinet or the highWEB er-ups could put word out to them for a more WEBMASTER Lou Foglia time-sensitive collaboration. Because there is no precedent for how the administration OPERATIONS should operate in this kind of situation, there OFFICE ASSISTANTS Ethan Stocking-Anderson should be one rule: Reach out as quickly as Gretchen Sterba possible. Panelists could have included more students alongside administration if schedSENIOR STAFF uling was the issue. GENERAL MANAGER Chris Richert An event that speaks to every member FACULTY ADVISER Len Strazewski ASSISTANT FACULTY ADVISER Stephanie Goldberg of the college community is commendable, and a necessary supplement for the one college-hosted event made for students. However, in order to support everyone who relies on Columbia for guidance either as a student or employee during this difficult time, the waiting time should be minimal.
Editorials are the opinions of the Editorial Board of The Chronicle. Columns are the opinions of the author(s).
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» PHOTOS WESLEY HEROLD/CHRONICLE Black Girls Break Bread, a group created to empower black women, hosted a Dec. 1 event at which Columbia students and staff shared their experiences as black women at the college.
New organization creates community for black women » CONNOR CARYNSKI CAMPUS REPORTER
came together and spoke openly about their experiences at Columbia Dec. 1 through the Black Girls Break Bread, a city-wide organization created with help from a Columbia alumna and staff member. Black Girls Break Bread was launched in October by sisters Jazzy Davenport, a 2010 journalism alumna; her sister Jessica Davenport-Williams, senior financial analyst of the Office of Budget and Reporting; and Khadija Warfield, coordinator of YoungLives, a nonprofit organization that provides resources to young mothers. The group was created to empower black women across Chicago, according to Davenport-Williams. Davenport, a former Chronicle managing editor, said when she was a Columbia student, it was not uncommon for her to be not just the only black woman in her class but the only woman in general. She added that she never had a black woman as a professor in any of her journalism classes. “As a journalism major, I was a minority in my career path,” Davenport said. “It just would have given a space for me to identify with people who look like me and to understand [how it feels] being a minority in a space such as Columbia.” The three founders developed the idea for the group after they recognized that very few Chicago colleges offer a safe space or opportunity for black women to speak about the issues they face every day, according to Warfield. Lindsey Wright, junior creative writing major, said she attended the Dec. 1 event YOUNG BLACK WOMEN
Jazzy Davenport, her sister Jessica Davenport-Williams and Khadija Warfield started the Black Girls Break Bread organization after noticing a lack of community among black women in colleges.
because it was difficult to find other black women on campus to connect with. “I’m in the Creative Writing Department and I feel like there are not too many [black women],” Wright said. “I always end up in class and I’m either one of two, or I’m one black woman in the entire class.” Wright added that in her three and a half years attending Columbia, she had a single black female professor—in a black feminist literature course. Unlike the Black Student Union and the Barbershop Series events, the BGBB organization will be the first group to host an event at Columbia specifically for black women, according to DavenportWilliams. She said she approached Kimberly Weatherly, director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs, to inquire about collaborating. “A lot of students have been yearning for this, and for us to be able to give back and allow them to have that experience is priceless for us,” Davenport-Williams said. On Dec. 1, the BGBB provided a complementary meal and eyebrow threading to attendees. The three founders moderated an informal group discussion about a variety of topics involving womanhood and race. On Dec. 10, BGBB will also be hosting an off-campus event open to the public, and the group plans to host public events quarterly moving forward. “One of the things I want the women in the room to know, of any age, is that you have a voice and that it is important for you to know that you have a voice and to use that voice and to understand the power of your voice,” Davenport-Williams said. ccarynski@chroniclemail.com
DECEMBER 5, 2016 THE CHRONICLE 3
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Five panelists, each representing a department or organization from the college, offered students and faculty their perspectives on the 2016 election results at the Nov. 29 College Assembly.
» G-JUN YAM/CHRONICLE » CONNOR CARYNSKI CAMPUS REPORTER ONYE OZUZU, DEAN of the School of Fine & Performing Arts,
recalled her 7-year-old son crawling into her bed on Election Night and asking whether their family was going to have to leave the country when it
became clear Trump was going to win. Having to address student and faculty concerns about the outcome of the election came soon after the results were final, Ozuzu said she was stumped when asked to create a statement for the school. Though she eventually completed the task, she said she experienced the same struggle for words when asked to act as a panelist in the college Assembly about response to the election. “I’ve been asked to speak about how we can engage with this through our art practices,” Ozuzu said. “For myself as dancer and choreographer, my initial reaction is, ‘I have no f--king idea.’ It’s really import-
ant to sit with [ideas for art] and to not rush out ahead.” During the assembly, hosted Nov. 29 in Stage Two auditorium in the 618 S. Michigan Ave. Building by the Office of the Provost, five panelists discussed available counseling services, social reform through political activism and overall ideological tolerance. Following the panel, the forum was opened to students and faculty to ask questions and express their opinions about election-related issues. Stan Wearden, senior vice president and provost, said the election brought up hatred, fear and anger, all of which were previously thought to be diminishing in the U.S. Wearden added that it is important for the campus community to explore political differences without fear of judgment. “It’s important that we create an environment that is safe for every-
one—safe for all people regardless of their political views and regardless of their political ideologies, which I separate from this atmosphere of hate and fear,” Wearden said. “It has nothing to do with a political ideology; it is something much deeper than that.” Event panelists also included Nicole Spigner, assistant professor in the English Department; Robert Watkins, associate professor in the Humanities, History & Social Sciences Department; and Kaela Ritter, president of the Student Government Association. The assembly, which was created for faculty, staff and students, followed a Nov. 14 email from President and CEO KwangWu Kim addressing the election results and the “Room for Hope” event created for students on Nov. 17. Ozuzu said it is important for people to take time to consider what type of impact their artwork will really have on society.
SEE ASSEMBLY, PAGE 11
Assembly addresses post-election concerns
The Music Center at Columbia College Chicago 1014 S. Michigan Avenue
Music Department Events Monday December 5 Gospel Choir and Gospel Repertory Ensemble at Stage TWO Pop Rock Ensemble: Showcase in Concert
4 THE CHRONICLE DECEMBER 5, 2016
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Tuesday December 6 Jazz ComboFest
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Wednesday December 7 Jazz Pop Choir in Concert at the Conway American Roots Ensemble in Concert
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Thursday December 8 Songwriting 1 Recital Progressive Rock Ensemble: Showcase in Concert
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Friday December 9 ChicagoVox in Concert Student Piano Recital #8 at the Sherwood
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APPLICATIONS FOR THE 2017 ALBERT P. WEISMAN AWARD ARE NOW OPEN FUNDING CREATIVE ENDEAVORS SINCE 1974 The Albert P. Weisman Award helps advanced undergrad and graduate students complete a substantial media-based project that is already underway.
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APPLICATION DEADLINE JANUARY 4, 2017 To apply and for more information, visit weisman.colum.edu
weisman.colum.edu DECEMBER 5, 2016 THE CHRONICLE 5
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Professor’s film tells multiyear tale of young black lives » AMELIA GARZA CAMPUS REPORTER MARGARET BYRNE, ADJUNCT professor in the Cinema Art + Science Department, spent seven years creating her recent documentary, “Raising Bertie,” which follows three young African-American men growing up in rural Bertie County, North Carolina. Completed in March, the film recently finished a weeklong run Nov. 23 at the Gene Siskel Theatre. Byrne said she initially planned to film for one year starting in 2009, focusing on an alternative school in Bertie but switched her focus when the school closed shortly after production began. “I didn’t set out to make a film that was seven years in the making,” Byrne said. “But, it’s been a very rewarding experience and definitely a far more complex and
important story than I could’ve imagined setting out to tell.” “Raising Bertie” is about Reginald “Junior” Askew, David “Bud” Perry and Davonte “Dada” Harrell and the successes and limitations young African-American men growing up in the rural south go through. Byrne said she wanted to capture the issues of mass incarceration,
education and family these young men commonly face. She added that she hopes her work will spark important conversations, often overlooked in the media. “The most powerful thing [is] when a film can impact the way people think and create change and be a catalyst for much bigger discussion,” Byrne said. “It’s more important now than ever, post-election, that we pay attention to our rural communities and we realize there are a diversity of stories that are not being told in mainstream media.”
» Courtesy MARGARET BYRNE Margaret Bryne, adjunct professor in the Cinema Art + Science Department, chronicles African-American men growing up in the rural south in her film, “Raising Bertie.”
“Raising Bertie” has been an official selection for numerous film festivals nationwide and won Best Director at the Atlanta Underground Film Festival and Best Documentary Feature at the 2016 Atlanta Docufest. Ruth Leitman, an assistant professor in the Cinema Art + Science Department and documentary coordinator, said she saw many versions of the film throughout its stages of production. “Every shot is beautifully crafted and used and stitched together to tell the story about a population so many people walk away from,” Leitman said. Tim Horsburgh, director of communication and distribution for Kartemquin Films, “Raising Bertie’s” production company, said the documentary embodies everything Kartemquin stands for. “This is a story about young people building their lives and doing it with difficulty, but with grace as well, and that’s an important story for people to embrace,” Horsbugh said. “Feature documentaries like
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this are really the only medium where that ever happens.” The film will be heading back to Bertie County Dec. 10 for a public screening, Byrne said, adding that the film will also be available for digital download on iTunes in Spring 2017. Along with promoting her film, Byrne is also raising awareness and fundraising for underfunded rural public schools. Throughout the film, the dedication and commitment to this community is undeniable, Leitman said, adding how that commitment continues with Byrne’s efforts in showing this film to audiences. “As documentary filmmakers, we have an obligation to ourselves as artists, to our audience and the story we deliver to them, and most importantly, to our subjects,” Leitman said. “[Byrne] has served her subjects, and has honored them very well, warts and all. She honors their life, their struggle, their small successes and their hopes for greater prosperity in the future.” agarza@chroniclemail.com
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New variety show to feature student comedians » ARIANA PORTALATIN CAMPUS REPORTER STUDENT COMEDY GROUPS and performers will showcase their talent in a comedy variety show Dec. 8 along with host and comedic character Aunty Chan, played by junior theatre major Jamie Meun. The show, called “Funny Business with Aunty Chan,” is scheduled to be held at HAUS in the 623 S. Wabash Ave. Building, and will feature performances by improv teams The Windbreakers and FAKE!, stand-up comedy, drag performances from Mané and Aunty Chan, commercial sketches provided by Columbia Tonight, and music performed by The AC Unit. Meun, who worked with the Student Programming Board to organize the show, said it highlights performers who have
engaged in and produced their own shows in Chicago. “If you really want anything to be done, you can do it on your own; that’s the concept of the ‘Funny Business’ show,” Meun said. “My character, Aunty Chan, is a created character that I used to pursue comedy so it’s all about telling people you can do whatever you want.” Meun also said although many students come to Columbia to take classes at Second City, he wanted to show that there are more opportunities available. According to Elana Schmidt, SPB’s director of Communications and sophomore business & entrepreneurship major, Meun first contacted the organization at the end of the summer about putting on a comedy show at Columbia. “I never thought there were a lot of opportunities for comedy
people to perform at Columbia other than improv shows, so when Jamie reached out to me, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to create something different,” Schmidt said. Throughout the month of September, Schmidt said she and Meun began organizing the show and choosing performers. Meun said all of those chosen were people he previously knew and who have done their own shows in the past. “I have a personal connection with all of the performers,” Meun said. “I knew that I wanted an improv team because that is the standard form of comedy that is present. I also wanted a solo performer, a showrunner and a standup act, so I pulled in all the great people I know who have produced shows and have been headlining shows and who are creators.” Meghan Sullivan, a senior theatre major who will be performing stand-up comedy, said she wanted to be a part of the show to get more
» Courtesy JAMIE MEUN
“Funny Business with Aunty Chan,” a student comedy show on Dec. 8, will be hosted by Aunty Chan, a character created by junior theatre major Jamie Meun.
involved at Columbia and is glad to work with Meun, whom she has known for two years. “The best thing about the comedy major is that if you’re serious about it, you have to put your own work forward and you have to write it, perform it and self-direct [it],” Sullivan said. Meun said he is excited to see new comedy students at the show because they are just as excited to
be doing comedy in Chicago as he was when he started at Columbia. “It’ll open [students’] eyes up to what more the comedy scene has to offer, like how you can produce your own show or bring together a group of friends,” Meun said. “It’s so important to know you’re capable of doing anything so long as you put hard work into it.” aportalatin@chroniclemail.com
DECEMBER 5, 2016 THE CHRONICLE 7
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8 THE CHRONICLE DECEMBER 5, 2016
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Roundtable discusses higher education education under Trump » ERIN BROWN/CHRONICLE
Panelists at “The University in the Era of Trump” roundtable event joined to discuss the future of higher education under Donald Trump’s presidency Nov. 29. » ARIANA PORTALATIN CAMPUS REPORTER EDUCATION PROFESSIONALS FROM Columbia, the University of Illinois at Chicago and the University of Chicago discussed the potential effects of Donald Trump’s presidency on higher education and how to find possible solutions. Jaafar Aksikas, an associate professor in the Humanities, History & Social Sciences Department, with the help of students in his “Methods of Inquiry in Cultural Studies” course, organized “The University in the Era of Trump” roundtable event, held Nov. 29 in the 624 S. Michigan Ave. Building. Aksikas called for free higher education, a public good that he was surprised did not receive mainstream popularity until this year’s presidential election. Aksikas also discussed the threat of capitalism to higher education and said students are currently facing increased obstacles in college, citing student debt, student employment and the privatization of university functions, such as security, parking and housing. “[College] has clearly been attacked by virtue of some of the ideologies, policies and modes of governance that we see emerging out of this very specific neoliberal conjuncture,” Aksikas said. Walter Benn Michaels, professor and head of the English Department at UIC and panelist, observed that higher education is in a precarious position. “I have no doubt that, in certain respects, for example the destruction of faculty unions and the increased privatizations of public universities, the Trump administration will make things much worse,” Michaels said. Stephanie Frank, a lecturer in the HHSS Department, said she opened her classes
to discussions the day after Trump won. Frank said she asked a student who supported Trump to put himself in the place of others who expressed concern over Trump’s presidency. This kind of empathy, she said, is important for educators to model and encourage. Anna Kornbluh, an associate professor in UIC’s English Department, described universities as a venue for collective studying, which faculty and administration should defend. “To more directly embrace this vision of the university, to defend militantly this form, faculty and administration must immediately expand their job descriptions,” Kornbluh said. “We must advocate on every available platform for institutions. We must support students, student struggles and especially student organizing for asylum, for living wages, for debt strike, for justice beyond the classroom in every fathomable way. It’s our job.” Sami Berk, a sophomore cultural studies and journalism double major, said she was impressed and enlightened after hearing from the panelists. “[These discussions] never cease to exceed my expectations as a student of cultural studies, as well as a politically progressive thinker and a critical thinker,” Berk said. Intergenerational dialogue is important because it allows students to learn from others who may be more experienced in their field, Berk said. “This is a very rare opportunity that I hope becomes less rare,” Berk said. “We can learn from people who have consumed and broken down the things that we barely wrap our minds around with a level of expertise that is now tangible for me.” aportalatin@chroniclemail.com
DECEMBER 5, 2016 THE CHRONICLE 9
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CAMPUS P-FAC, FROM FRONT
ASSEMBLY, FROM PAGE 4
“We’re in a moment where it’s easy for our thoughts and our words to run out ahead of our bodies,” Ozuzu said. “It’s important to stay connected, intellectually and verbally.” Beverly Anderson, associate dean of Student Health and Support, said although the Student Relations and Counseling Services offices have received only a small amount of students distressed by the election results, supportive services will continue to be offered. During the panel, Spigner also talked about identifying specific political issues, paying attention to decisions Congress makes and calling local governmental offices to demand change. Spigner added that activism is more effective as a group effort than a solo one. “If you want to see something changed, there are probably other people who are already working to that end,” Spigner said. “Seek them out, see if you can act with them, see if you can
emulate them and see if you can otherwise support them.” Opportunities for democratic action are not limited to the day of the election, and students should continue to be engaged in politics the entire year, Watkins, who studies political theory, said. “We have to be alert and defend our democratic institutions and practices against any onslaughts and abuses of power that come their way,” Watkins said. For Joseph Guritz, a freshman theatre major, unity is crucial during post-election times, he said at the college assembly. “Now is a time to share love between one another because love is so important,” Guritz said. “Fear is a b---h; fear has brought us to some of the hardest times that we’ve known in our nation and in our world. Looking at the light and going toward it and hoping for a better tomorrow can make a difference.” ccarynski@chroniclemail.com
» MARIA CARDONA/CHRONICLE
P-Fac’s SEIU affiliation comes almost a year after it disaffiliated from IEANEA, their former parent union.
This is the first time P-Fac voted to join another labor organization after members voted 232-50 to disaffiliate from its former parent union—the Illinois Education Association-National Education Association— in 2015, as reported Jan. 26, 2015, by The Chronicle. Conflicts between P-Fac and the IEA-NEA arose when the statewide association proposed that members of the US of CC, also NEA-affiliated, should be
allowed to teach, a decision Vallera said would allow staff members to take course assignments from adjuncts. As the P-Fac contract specified that only its members can teach classes part-time, NEA wanted staff members to be able to join P-Fac, as reported Jan 26, 2015 by The Chronicle. Additional motives for P-Fac’s IEA-NEA disaffiliation included the need to avoid a conflict of interest, increase transparency by having access to databases and reports, and desire to be represented by Dupres, Schwartz and Geoghegan law firms instead of “IEA’s financial or other interests,” according to “The Many Benefits of Disaffiliating” newsletter published on P-Fac’s website. At the time, Vallera said IEA’s years of disservice and failure to honor the contract was “the last straw” that prompted the disaffiliation. Gail Sonnenfeld, adjunct professor in the Cinema Art + Science Department and the depart-
ment’s union representative, said she thinks P-Fac will have more legal support with SEIU, especially after the union’s disaffiliation with IEA-NEA. She added that it will allow the union to get its points across and get the college administration to listen. “We should be a little bit more powerful, with a broader base and more people standing behind us,” Sonnenfeld said. Vallera told The Chronicle in a Nov. 29 interview that after a year of being independent and doing research to assess whether P-Fac should join a parent union, she realized SEIU was committed to the same larger issues P-Fac stands for. “I’m very excited about [what] we can do together and how we can grow P-Fac, most importantly, how all of us can go and build more solidarity and support higher education,” Vallera said. asalcedo@chroniclemail.com
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Creative professionals will share their wisdom at upcoming public panel » Page 17
Local documentary web series gives voice to community post-election » ARIEL PARRELLA-AURELI ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR WHEN DONALD TRUMP was announced as the next president, filmmaker Erin Babbin said she remembers feeling as if she were in an episode of Netflix’s “Black Mirror.” The TV show’s portrayal of technology’s dark side affecting political and societal outcomes is not far from the new political reality, said Babbin, one half of the local film company On The Real Film, which echoed the shock many citizens have felt since Nov. 8. “A lot of us felt pretty alone after the election, in terms of not feeling in tune with the country,” said Babbin, who studied documentary film at Columbia from 2008 to 2011. “It felt like a really huge moment in time. It felt like something we can’t just roll over. We have to address it, especially because so many people were blind to it.” Babbin and Michael Sullivan, the other half of the company and a local cinematographer, found a creative outlet to give voice to Chicago residents struggling with the country’s current political climate. The filmmakers chose to create a web series called “Transition to Power,” which will release one episode a week leading up to the inauguration with a final viewing party of the 10-episode series on Jan. 20,
which Babbin called an “anti-inauguration” screening event. The web series features diverse artists and activists in Chicago who are opening up a dialogue about the election and its effect on their creative work. “It is supposed to be about empowerment politically and in the world of artists,” Babbin said. “A lot of the subjects are people of color, LGBT and sort of the people that society often leaves out. We want to hear those voices, and we want to make sure those voices feel heard.” The producer of the series, Sixty Inches From Center, is an online arts publication and archive that supports arts media not seen in a mainstream light. Tempestt Hazel, a Chicago writer and curator in tune with the local creative community, founded the publication in 2010. Sullivan and Babbin said Hazel was one of the company’s first supporters, and the two organizations have worked together on projects since 2013. Hazel said she was interviewed for the project to voice her own thoughts post-election—thoughts that have been shared through her own community. “What [the series] is doing a great job of is taking the conversations I would be having over the phone or over dinner and putting [them] out for other people to see, experience or relate to,” Hazel said.
» PHOTOS MARIA CARDONA/CHRONICLE Filmmakers Michael Sullivan and Erin Babbin, partners of the film company On The Real Film, use their creativity to reflect the political situation through their new web series ‘Transition to Power.’
Film company On The Real Film was created in 2011 by Erin Babbin and Michael Sullivan. Babbin studied documentary film at Columbia for three years before landing a professional filmmaking job.
The first episode, “Livid + Motivated,” was released Nov. 23 and features movement artist and arts administrator Felicia Holman, who is known throughout the city for her work with Honey Pot Performance, Arts Admins of Color Network and Links Hall. The second episode, “We Are Such a Better People Than This,” released Dec. 1, features Tony Fitzpatrick, a local visual artist who is known for his rebellious nature, distinctive collages and screen prints inspired by sports, nature and Chicago imagery. Fitzpatrick’s episode touches on the role millennials played in the election—a role that some upset with Trump’s victory are trying to demonize now, he said in a Dec. 2 interview with The Chronicle. But millennials are not the ones to blame for the election results, he said. “The 50 percent who did not vote wants to shift the blame to somebody,” Fitzpatrick said, referring to the millennials. “[They] wanted someone else to do the heavy lifting of freedom and democracy, but freedom demands participation.” That is precisely what “Transition to Power” is succeeding at, he said, applauding On The Real Film’s efforts to showcase active people in the community who do not get a microphone from big media companies such as CNN. “[Sullivan and Babbin] are bulletins from the streets,” Fitzpatrick said. “They are the ones giving voices to people who nobody talks to on the news.”
Sullivan said the artists they spoke to differ on whether they have a responsibility to comment on the political conversation, but he personally thinks art can change the perception of the world and every artist should consider that responsibility. Fitzpatrick stressed artists need to use their voice and have a powerful influence, especially now that “we are entering the political dark ages,” he said. “We have the power to move people and now we have to use it and do the hard work of standing up to the Trump presidency,” Fitzpatrick said. Sullivan said creating the series helps artists put forth their message. “If we are not talking about these things, then we are ignoring them, and that’s absolutely unacceptable,” Sullivan said. The show’s goal is sharing the community’s thoughts, continuing vital conversations and moving forward as a whole toward progressive change, Sullivan said. Babbin added that the most hard-hitting goal of the series is to bring back hope. “I want people who feel hopeless to feel like there is hope,” Babbin said. “I want people who feel alone to feel like they are not alone. There are other people who are just as upset or just as whatever they are as them, and there are people that are going to do something about it in whatever way they [can]. We are just one small piece of a giant response.” aparrella@chroniclemail.com
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ARTS & CULTURE Thursday, Dec. 8 PETE YORN » ZOË EITEL MANAGING EDITOR
DirecTV says it wants Taylor Swift 'NOW'
F
or anyone who is somehow not tired of Taylor Swift and wants to watch a show just about her, DirecTV has you covered. "Taylor Swift NOW" will be a "streaming video catalog" exclusively available on the new internet streaming service DirecTV Now that was announced Nov. 28 by DirecTV and AT&T executives. DirecTV Now launched Nov. 30, but episodes of Swift's show have not been posted as of press time. There is no published schedule of when the 13-episode series will be posted, but AT&T Executive Brad Bentley assured that it would be within a few weeks, according to a Nov. 28 The Verge article. Currently, a 32-second introduction to the new show titled "Welcome From Taylor" is the only "Taylor Swift NOW" content available on DirecTV Now, which costs $35 per month for the smallest package of 60 channels after a 7-day free trial. In the introduction, Swift promises viewers will get to see "some old, some new and some never before seen videos" as well as some stories fans have never heard before. While this new series is an interesting move for Swift and DirecTV, it is not a surprising one. Swift entered the music scene in 2006 with her eponymous album and popular singles like "Teardrops on my Guitar," and she has become one of the most recognizable names in the industry. Forbes revealed in a Nov. 30 article that Swift was the highest paid musician—and celebrity—in the world in 2016 at $170 million. The second highest paid musicians were One Direction at $110 million. She has also had small parts in TV shows like "New Girl" and movies like "The Giver," received an award for her humanitarian efforts from Michelle Obama, was featured on and usually near the top of more than a few superlative listings, and has dated some of the top names in mainstream media, like Harry Styles and Taylor Lautner.
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There are not many worlds left for Swift to conquer, so it only makes sense for her to use this new medium to expand her reach even more. Any artist can create a documentary about themselves, but only Swift could turn that endeavor into something as massive as an entire documentary show series. "Taylor Swift NOW" is an opportunity for her to become fresh in people's minds again since she has not put out new music since her fifth album 1989 in 2014. It's also a way for DirecTV to appeal to millennial Swift fans who have been abandoning cable for streaming lately. The number of millennials ages 18–34 who tune in to a cable service dropped 20 percent between 2011 and 2015, according to a Feb. 18, 2015, TIME article. Twitter users have been pointing out a mistake AT&T made when it posted a promotion for "Taylor Swift NOW" on YouTube Nov. 28. In the description of the video, AT&T said the show would include "backstage exclusives and new music." The description has since been changed to remove the part about new music. This new platform would be the perfect place for Swift to make a splash with her new inevitable album, which she has yet to confirm is in the works. Because the show will be full of new content, why wouldn't a new album be part of that?
14 THE CHRONICLE DECEMBER 5, 2016
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ARTS & CULTURE
Annoyance holiday play adds extra shows after success
had continued success since its 2012 debut. This year, Annoyance will add one more performance EVERYONE HAS AWKWARD family per week on Friday nights starting holiday party experiences, but not Dec. 9. every dinner table disagreement The current run of the show ends in a murder. began Nov. 19 on Saturday nights “It’s Christmas, Goddamnit!,” and will run on both nights the long-running Christmas through Dec. 17. comedy play from the Annoyance Director Charley Carroll said Theatre, 851 W. Belmont Ave., has the show’s enduring, persistent » JONATHON SADOWSKI ARTS & CULTURE REPORTER
» Courtesy THE ANNOYANCE THEATRE & BAR The Annoyance’s show “It’s Christmas, Goddamnit!” plays with the theme of holiday family snipefests in violent fashion.
success prompted the additional performances. The play’s attendance has varied since partway through its first run in 2012, but this year the show’s popularity skyrocketed, with waiting lists for tickets, Carroll said. “This year and last year, we started noticing people [in the audience] who knew lines we were going to say,” Carroll said. “People are coming every year now, and people are starting to bring friends to see it because it’s this wacky family tale that people get into.” The show is modeled after Carroll’s own family gatherings— with some violence added for good measure, and a murder capping the first act. Billed as a Christmas celebration with a macabre twist, “It’s Christmas, Goddamnit!” uses the tried-and-true Annoyance Theatre brand of offbeat humor, said Zach Freeman, a freelance comedy reviewer for the Chicago
Tribune, in a Nov. 30 interview with The Chronicle. Freeman reviewed the show in 2014 for Newcity, a local culture magazine. “A Christmas show seems like something that anyone, whether they are familiar with the Annoyance’s style or not, might be interested and go check it out,” Freeman said. “I could see why [it] would be especially popular.” However, Freeman noted in his review that none of the characters resemble real people and instead act as caricatures to set up jokes. But that is not an inherent downside, he said. “[Characterization is] secondary because it was so over-the-top in terms of how far they’re willing to go,” Freeman said. Because the show is now on its fifth annual run, it has gone through some minor alterations over the years as the cast got a better idea of their characters, Carroll said. Some jokes and themes have been toned down or altered to fit the times better; Carroll said
the racist uncle character had to change to accommodate shifts in cultural sensitivity. “Over the last five years, a lot has changed around how people are talking about race in theater,” Carroll said. “We’ve looked at it and said, ‘What are we still comfortable with putting onstage?’” Despite its controversial themes, “It’s Christmas, Goddamnit!” continues to grow its audience. It is among the Annoyance’s most successful shows, said Jennifer Estlin, the theater’s executive producer. “[The show] a bit of a breakout,” Estlin said. “This is one we can count on [selling out]. People appreciate a show that’s not ... like the saccharine stuff that you get at Christmastime.” Estlin said it is a good bet the show will continue to be a holiday staple for the theater. “It works really well for us at Christmastime,” Estlin said. “We really like the show and think it’s worthy of being brought back.” jsadowski@chroniclemail.com
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Upcoming panel to educate, encourage local artists people interested in attending as of press time. Jaime Black, who will host the A COMMON CONCEPTION among discussion, also hosts Dynasty Chicago creatives is that they Podcasts and is an adjunct need to move to the coasts to be professor in the Business & successful in their field. A local Entrepreneurship Department. He group of filmmakers, bloggers, has hosted panels with Chicago podcasters and more are trying to creatives since 2012, hosting more change that by serving as exam- than 20 events this year alone. ples of artists who make a living Black, who is co-producing the in Chicago. event with Mikul Wing of the Painter Hebru Brantley, hip- record label Future Factory, said hop blogger Andrew Barber and this particular mix of people will filmmaker Austin Vesely will com- be a good way to close out the year. prise an upcoming panel of local “I see a lot of students who [think] creatives who have found success. they have to leave Chicago when The public panel discussion, they graduate,” Black said. “[They How to Make it in Chicago’s think] they have to move to New Creative Industries, will be York or Los Angeles, and those hosted at the Chicago Athletic are both cities with incredible Association Hotel, 12 S. Michigan opportunities, but I love working Ave., Dec. 7. Admission is free. in Chicago.” The event’s Facebook page has The city’s cultural industries, 610 RSVPs, with more than 2,000 including photography, film and » JONATHON SADOWSKI ARTS & CULTURE REPORTER
museums, have twice the number of local workers as national average, according to a May 2014 report from the Cultural Policy Center at the University of Chicago. The report found that 44,029 people were employed in Chicago’s creative scene, per 2007 Economic Census data. Black said he would like to see more students and aspiring creatives realize the opportunities staying in Chicago provides by introducing them to successful professionals in the Windy City. Barber, who runs the hip-hop blog Fake Shore Drive, conceded that Chicago is not typically viewed as a viable place for success in creative industries. “Chicago may be the third biggest city in the United States, [but] it’s not a super hub for creatives,” Barber said. “A lot of the people over years have had to [leave] to thrive, but there is a strong community of people here who have stayed and had success.” Though the panelists are in specific fields—blogging, painting
and filmmaking—the wisdom they have is transferable to other industries, Barber added. “[While our stories] might be in different aspects of life or different careers, they do intersect,” he said. “We’ve all worked together on things in the past, so things that might seem very different are not.” Andrea Knight, a junior fashion studies major, said she wants to attend the event because of the panelists’ work, especially Vesely’s because she wants to pursue a career in film wardrobe.
“I’m thinking I could get some insight of film and what it is like,” Knight said. Black said anyone and everyone looking to be successful in Chicago’s creative industries could learn something of value. “I’m hoping people leave seeing you can build a really worthwhile career here in Chicago,” Black said. “I’m hoping we can encourage that kind of idea. You can be a creative, but you can still live here.” jsadowski@chroniclemail.com » Courtesy JAIME BLACK
Jaime Black, local podcaster and adjunct professor in the Business & Entrepreneurship Department, will host a panel of professional local creatives on Dec. 7.
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‘You just want your children to be happy’: how Gender Neutral Parenting is breaking stereotypes Story by Brooke Pawling Stennett
J
oanna Woods said she could see the moment her son realized something was wrong. Eightyear-old Tom was wearing a shiny, sparkly bracelet and kids at the local McDonald’s had started to stare. He was getting uncomfortable. He put his coat back on in an attempt to hide it, but Woods saw the damage had been done. “It’s just a piece of jewelry,” Woods, a U.K. resident said. “It shouldn’t be like that. He did not wear [the bracelet] outside again.” When he was younger, Tom wanted a toy kitchen, but they were all pink and all the toys Tom wanted were “for girls”—pink and more pink. “You go in the shop[s] and clothing for instance—this is the boys clothes, this is the girls clothes,” Woods said. One day, Woods picked Tom up from playing at school and he was in angel wings, a sparkly skirt and a builder’s hat. That was where her journey with Gender Neutral Parenting started, Woods said. Following in the footsteps of the U.K., parents in the U.S. have embraced GNP, with numerous articles posted in U.S. Health News, Parents.com and Vogue. At its core, GNP is about giving children the freedom to make choices about themselves by eliminating gender stereotypes in dress, play and behavior. For some parents, that means never formally revealing the sex of their child or letting them choose their own pronouns. For others, it is letting their daughter wear camouflage shorts and dangling earrings, or their son playing tea party in a fireman 20 THE CHRONICLE DECEMBER 5, 2016
costume, as long as the choices make them happy. “Putting a child into a neutral box is just as bad as putting them into a girl or a boy box,” said Corissa Howington in a Nov. 28 email interview. Howington is the manager of Facebook page “Gender Neutral Parenting,” with more than 9,000 likes. “The point of Gender Neutral Parenting is to give children all the options and let them work it out for themselves.” Gender stereotypes often boil down to what is considered feminine and masculine. Christia Spears Brown, author of “Parenting Beyond Pink and Blue: How to Raise Your Kids Free of Gender Stereotypes” and professor of developmental psychology at the University of Kentucky, raises her two children with limited gender references, though she does not identify her parenting style as GNP. Instead of saying, “Come on, girls,” she would say, “Come on, kids.” Brown said she tries to limit how many times she references gender or lets any gender signs in toy shops determine when she shops. She does not seek out the “girl” version of a superhero when her oldest daughter wants a figurine. Gender-segregated birthday parties are not allowed: She either invites the whole class or one or two kids. “In some ways, it is the small things like how I read a book, and in some ways, it’s the bigger things, [like] making sure we have a wide selection of toys at all times, regardless of gender,” Brown said. Genes and hormones do play a part in creating boy-girl differences, including the fact that boys are more vulnerable early in life because they mature more slowly than girls, but girls face greater challenges out in the real world,
Design By Zoë Haworth including the perceived contradiction of ambition and femininity, on top of pressures of child-rearing, according to Lisa Eliot, a neuroscientist and author of the study “Pink Brain, Blue Brain: How Small Differences Grow Into Troublesome Gaps—And What We Can Do About It.” But, Eliot wrote, there is little evidence of sex differences in children’s brains. “Simply put, your brain is what you do with it,” Eliot wrote. “So it’s all biology, whether the cause is nature or nurture.” Over the course of the last five years, GNP has seen a growing trend in Google searches, according to the search engines’ data. Initial interest in the topic was low in 2011, before hitting a high of 64 on a scale of 100 at the peak of popularity. The year 2013 saw a steady range of 20 to 30, with occasional peaks of popularity hitting 47 or 61, while 2014 saw a new high of 86 before dropping back into the 20s. In contrast, 2015 skyrocketed, reaching 100 percent popularity after a week of ranges between 40 and 78. In the last twelve months, GNP’s popularity has stayed consistent, only dropping below 25 twice. Gender neutrality in clothing and toys in the U.S. has also skyrocketed in recent years. The superstore chain Target took down gender-based signs in stores, according to an Aug. 7, 2015, press release on its website, after parents raised questions regarding the gendered signs. “We know that departments like Toys, Home or Entertainment suggesting products by gender is unnecessary,” the statement read. “We heard you, and we agree.” Additionally, Target released a “gender neutral” kids clothing line filled
with greens, reds and the occasional teal and pink that is still sold on its website. But, the reality of gender neutral clothing is that girls have more leeway to put on “masculine” clothing, but typically, boys do not have the
same freedom, said Lee Jacob Riggs, a licensed counselor in Chicago, who works extensively with members of the LGBT community. Quirkie Kids, a company that sells gender neutral t-shirts, aims to eliminate this idea with shirts that say “Still a boy!” and “Free to wear pink!” along with similar choices for girls. Martine Zoer, owner of Quirkie Kids, originally moved to the U.S. from Holland, a place where boys have more freedom to play with “girl toys” or wear pink, including her nephews, she said. After launching her gender-neutral clothing line on Kickstarter in 2014, Zoer said she received hate mail from angry parents, which included an email saying that making children wear her t-shirts was child abuse. Another said she was a “frustrated feminist who was trying to turn her kids gay.” “That part of [selling gender-neutral clothing] is very surprising to me,” Zoer said. “Just the idea of boys wearing pink—I cannot wrap my head around how that would be scandalous to some people.” In Sweden, schoolteachers are being trained in gender neutral teaching methods, and Sweden has also added the new pronoun “hen” to the Swedish lexicon, which can be found in the gender equality section within the country’s official website. In the U.S., a presentation given to principals and counselors at a North Carolina school recommended avoiding he/she pronouns, instead calling children students and scholars. Some other schools are embracing gender neutral policies, including Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School, which adopted a gender neutral homecoming court by eliminating the practice of electing a boy as “king” and a girl as “queen.” Similarly, at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, the university eradicated the longstanding tradition of king and queen and embraced the entire gender spectrum as candidates. Shortly after Target phased out its gender-based signs, NPD, an industry analyst survey, found that only 31 percent of respondents disagreed with the statement, “The toy industry perpetuates gender stereotyping and should be marketing every toy to both boys and girls.” In the U.K., a campaign called Let Toys Be Toys aims to combat
gender-specific marketed toys by petitioning retailers to make their toys inclusive to all genders. According to its website, 14 retailers “have made changes or promised to do so.” For Estephany Arroyo, a mother and psychology student at the University of Chicago, gender-specific toys had become her family’s norm. While shopping together, Arroyo said her 5-year-old daughter typically reaches for the pink toys, and her grandmother will sometimes encourage her by saying, “That’s a girl one.” Shortly after starting grade school, Arroyo said her daughter came home telling her that pink is for girls and blue is for boys. While Arroyo does not identify with GNP, she tries to be gender inclusive with her daughter despite what she may be observing in school. “I want her to pick out whatever color she wants, not just because it matches her sex or what [society is] used to,” Arroyo said. According to Brown, by the time children are 7 years old, they are acutely aware of gender roles. Kids at that age give basic reasons as to why things are the way they are, Brown said. For example, Brown cited that boys may say girls are not good at math and science because girls are naturally not good at those subjects, or boys do not stay at home and take care of babies because boys are not nurturing. However, these are misconceptions about the innate abilities of different genders. “If we can give them as parents different explanations, [it] helps them see how gender should not be determining how people are treated,” Brown said. After coming across other parents who were practicing GNP, Woods said she found that many parents were put into gender “boxes” when they were young and felt uncomfortable with themselves as they got older, specifically LGBT parents who remained closeted until later in their life. “From a parent’s perspective, you kind of think, ‘Well, we do not know what our children’s sexual [identity] is going to be,’ but you also don’t want them to grow up thinking there is a stigma in any way because as a parent, you just want your children to be happy,” Woods said.
FEATURE According Jacob Riggs, the LGBT community would have a vastly different experience of identity exploration if, from birth, gender was something they had agency to define on their own. “Almost all of us were assigned a gender at birth and most people have not questioned that,” Jacob Riggs said. “Gender Neutral Parenting sort of shakes the foundation of how people understand themselves.” For Quinn Savard, an author and teacher from Massachusetts, raising a gender neutral child has taught her an important lesson: Never take anything at face value. “We are a society that takes the outside of a person and thinks: That is who they are,” Savard said. Her daughter wears earrings and kitten shirts, but her attire is traditionally boyish—short hair and camouflage shorts—and is happy wearing both. But, Savard said, she also harbors worries: What could happen if her daughter goes to the girls restroom and someone tells her she does not belong there and if she will give up this piece of herself she finds so great to fit in with her peers. “I just want to equip her with everything that I can to send her out and be OK,” Savard said. “I just really want her to be OK.” To change the mind of society is a long process, and it shows in the sparkly bracelet that drew the attention of passersby at that McDonald’s with Woods and her son. It was only a bracelet, and yet Tom never put on a sparkly bracelet again. “That’s just the world we live in,” Woods said. bpawlingstennet@chroniclemail.com
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audiofile American Wrestlers say ‘Hello, Dear’ to nationwide tour
no one would put it out and no one would ever hear it. I made that on a Tascam. I put it on a bunch of blogs, and then eight labels ary McClure, lead singer and guitar- got in touch within the next week, and one of ist of St. Louis indie band American those was Fat Possum. It was wild and totally Wrestlers, said he actually had a unexpected. They put it out as it is, so this great upbringing—despite the title of the time around, we had time to construct it a bit band’s newest album, Goodbye Terrible more. Also, I wanted songs to be a bit more Youth. The record, which released Nov. 4 direct and work a bit better in a live context. and includes scratchy yet upbeat tracks such as “Hello, Dear,” is not as introspec- Although you are Scottish, the band tive as one might think; McClure even name is “American.” How was it picked? said the record should not be viewed as Have you ever tried to pick a band name? having too many layers. Instead, McClure It is the worst experience. I feel degraded describes the band’s sophomore record as doing it. It almost feels like you are trying an indie power pop and “sarcastic” album to name your gang or your kid. Years and that carries gripping and lyrical content. years ago a friend of mine came up with this American Wrestlers features McClure’s name American Wrestlers, and he thought it wife Bridgette Imperial on the keyboard, was a stupid idea for a band name. I thought bassist Ian Reitz and drummer Josh Van about that, and I thought it was already someHoorebeke. The group embarked on tour thing people recognize and that’s good. It is Nov. 30 and are set to play at Empty Bottle, something you can easily remember. There 1035 N. Western Ave., Dec. 11. is a nice aesthetic to the lettering, so that’s The Chronicle spoke with McClure about really it. the second album, its meaning and what it is like hearing his own songs. How did you decide on the title Goodbye Terrible Youth for the album? THE CHRONICLE: What is new about I had a great upbringing, actually. Obviously, Goodbye Terrible Youth? I wasn’t rich or anything, but I had good parGARY McCLURE: The first one was sup- ents and all that. The record sounds [like] posed to be demos, actually. I was convinced a lot of the music I got into was when I was » ARIEL PARRELLA-AURELI ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR
G
really young. If there are any youthful references it is that one, a musical one. But a lot of it was sarcastic to say “goodbye” to [childhood] because a lot of people put a real downer on the young. They are made out to be responsible for a lot of things and then they are made totally irresponsible for [other things], so it is a sarcastic thing.
are trying to emotionally affect someone or get some connection, so you can’t really do that to yourself, can you? You can’t write something and then read it back and go, “Wow, I really felt good.” It is like trying to tickle yourself or trying to smell yourself. You can do it a bit but you can’t really do this whole thing yourself. I think that’s why. I never bother to listen to it—not because I What song of yours do you like to play think it is s--t or anything but because it does or listen to the most? not work for me. I don’t listen to anything I write ever. I know when it is done. When you are creative, you aparrella@chroniclemail.com » Courtesy EVAN CUTTLER
American Wrestlers started its nationwide tour Nov. 30 for its album Goodbye Terrible Youth and is set to play Dec. 11 at Empty Bottle, 1035 N. Western Ave., with Chicago bands VARSITY and Laverne.
The home stretch » BROOKE PAWLING STENNETT
» CONRAD QUEEN
“It’s the Final Countdown”
Europe
“Stayin’ Alive” “Chariots of Fire Theme Song”
“Freedun”
M.I.A featuring ZAYN
“Right on Track”
The Griswolds
“Gonna Fly Now”
Bill Conti
“Renegades”
X Ambassadors
Vangelis
A.D.I.D.A.S.”
Little Mix
Richard Wagner
“Don’t Stop Believing”
Journey
“Kicks” “Wolf Pack”
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
METRO REPORTER
Bee Gees
“Ride of the Valkyries”
» GABRIEL DE LA MORA
» ERIC BRADACH
ARTS & CULTURE REPORTER
MARKETING CONSULTANT
Staff Playlist
Lauren Aquilana The Vaccines
“Hanging On” “It’s a War”
“Hearts on Fire” The Beaver Brown Band
“Holding on For Life”
“Eye of the Tiger”
“Moving Forward”
“Panic Station”
Survivor Muse
“Hold On”
Active Child Blackbird Blackbird Broken Bells Tokimonsta SBTRKT
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meOUT
CHECK » PHOTOS ERIN BROWN/CHRONICLE
Shawnee Dez senior cultural studies major
“I’m going to try to get some insulated boots.”
WHAT WILL YOU WEAR ON THE FIRST BIG SNOWFALL? Aliya Haq junior cinema art + science major “A big, furry jacket.”
Mitch Werber senior cinema art + science major “This jacket with a flannel insulator.”
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DECEMBER 5, 2016 THE CHRONICLE 25
top our staff’s top 5 picks:
video & blog reviews
Video: “Nintendo at Universal Theme Parks” On Nov. 30, Japanese gaming giant Nintendo announced it is teaming with American theme park pioneer Universal Studios to recreate the worlds of Nintendo’s games in real life. Will they build Mario Kart’s Rainbow Road, the Animal Crossing town or Zelda’s Hyrulean Castle? Or even better—what about a lifesize Pokémon Stadium?
Blog: “Book Designer” This frequently-updated blog helps writers create the best book possible. The author guides plot, writing technique, professional career advice and more. If you’re an up-and-coming author looking for help creating the best product you possibly can, this blog is for you. It includes references to newly-released titles, like Bruce Springsteen’s memoir.
ARTS & CULTURE
ACCOUNTING FIRMS
FAVORITE DISNEY CHANNEL ORIGINAL MOVIES
‘SHAMELESS’ RELATIONSHIPS
» ETHAN STOCKING-ANDERSON OPERATIONS MANAGER
» GRETCHEN STERBA OPERATIONS MANAGER
» ZOË EITEL MANAGING EDITOR
Deloitte:
“Motocrossed” (2001):
Mickey Milkovich & Ian Gallagher:
The accounting firm formerly known as Deloitte & Touche currently has the largest number of employees of the top five accounting firms. Deloitte’s consultancy business has expanded over the years while numbers for other services like tax and auditing remained steady.
During Thanksgiving, I had my mom close her eyes and surprised her with a timeless classic, “Motocrossed.” It came out 15 years ago, but Andrea “Andi” Carson schooled all the guys on the racecourse, representing ultimate girl power.
These two were each other’s booty calls, live-in boyfriends and exes within seven seasons. Mickey’s homophobic dad and Russian prostitute ex-wife and Ian’s bipolar disorder are the least of their issues since Mickey broke out of prison in the Nov. 27 episode.
PricewaterhouseCoopers:
“Halloweentown” (1998):
Mandy Milkovich & Ian Gallagher:
PricewaterhouseCoopers, which is usually abbreviated as PwC, is often viewed as the most prestigious of all accounting firms, ranked by Vault.com. PwC beat out Deloitte in worldwide revenue last year by a “narrow” $160 million.
This classic work’s elaborate town, which also was the basis for three sequels, turned into a real place for fans in St. Helens, Oregon, making childhood me—and adult me— kick and scream with excitement. Marnie and Luke’s troll presence will live in our hearts forever.
Ernst & Young:
“Gotta Kick it Up!” (2002):
The Gallagher brothers:
The highest ranked accounting firm on the DiversityInc Top 50 list, EY is recognized for strides in the promotion of women, minorities and the LGBT community in senior leadership, initiating programs to encourage mentorship and networking between ethnically diverse staff and minority executives.
I respect Disney for making a movie—inspired by a true story—about young Latina girls on a middle school dance team. This movie will make anyone want start doing high kicks and cheering with pompoms, even in their living room.
Now older, Ian, Lip and Carl don’t spend much time together. But when they all hang out, it’s still as funny and adorable, like when Lip and Ian explain to Carl that he couldn’t give his girlfriend gonorrhea if he didn’t have it.
“Smart House” (1999):
Kevin Ball, Veronica Fisher & Svetlana Fisher:
KPMG: KPMG is smaller than the likes of PwC, Deloitte and EY. However, you may have heard of because it sponsors golfer Phil Mickelson who wears its initials on a hat. Arthur Andersen: A Chicago darling, Arthur Andersen is the sole American firm to make this list. When the Enron scandal unfolded in the early 2000s, Andersen, its auditor, shredded auditing documents and was convicted of obstruction of justice. The felony conviction was eventually overturned.
26 THE CHRONICLE DECEMBER 5, 2016
I had to pick between this and Ryan Merriman’s other DCOM “Luck of the Irish,” but the cool, futuristic technology with a hologram 1950s housewife made the cut. The fact that the house’s kitchen can produce a plethora of oranges is much more intriguing than a movie about leprechauns and basketball. “Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century” (1999): The silver alien-looking vests worn in this movie are cute and you can’t forget about the intergalactic superstar Proto Zoa. I still want to be his Supernova Girl.
Mandy initially came onto Ian and sent her older brothers to beat him up when she felt rejected, but the duo worked out their differences and became best friends. Even after Mandy left Chicago, Ian is there for her at the drop of a hat.
Kevin and Veronica were in a relationship for years when Mickey’s ex-wife Svetlana married Veronica to gain citizenship. The situation went from a convenient arrangement to a fullfledged, polyamorous “thrupple.” Carl Gallagher & Nick: After Carl was released from juvie, he and his cellmate Nick stuck together. One of the show’s saddest scenes featured Carl watching Nick being taken away by police after killing the boy who stole Nick’s treasured bike.
reviews APP
SCREEN
ARTS & CULTURE
scale
MUSIC
RANDOM
FROZEN MEALS
HIPPO CAMPUS’ “MONSOON”
BBC EARTH COLORING BOOK APP
‘THE GRAND TOUR’ EPISODE 2
» MCKAYLA BRAID MULTIMEDIA REPORTER
» G-JUN YAM SENIOR PHOTO EDITOR
» ARABELLA BRECK MANAGING EDITOR
» TAYLOR MORRIS METRO REPORTER
This new coloring book app, released Nov. 24, allows users to download and color scenes inspired by “Planet Earth II.” The app is perfect if you want to take a break from projects and studying for finals—or if you are bored on the CTA. The only downside are the limited options if you want to color for free. For additional templates, users must pay extra.
“Top Gear” was a car show fueled with adrenaline, comedy and most importantly, spontaneity. Its successor, Amazon’s “The Grand Tour” lacks that sense of improvisation. Yes, it is loud and has a lot of fast cars, but the core of the show is boring and feels scripted. The second episode, released Nov. 25, wasn’t anything different and continued to lack substance.
Though this single was released Nov. 21, the gentle melody and the song title reminds me of the summer monsoon season in my home state of Arizona, which consisted of violent rainstorms. But the monsoons always had a calming quality to it. Because I was reminded of monsoon season, this song put me in that melancholy, reminiscent, cold weather mood.
Anyone who has attended college knows the struggle of buying healthy food—or even worse, trying to find time to cook. Usually, I buy a handful of somewhat appetizing TV meals. Recently, I had the Lean Cuisine pasta and it was awful. The noodles tasted like plastic and they barely had any sauce. If you’re looking for something tasty, I would recommend a real restaurant.
TECH
NETFLIX OFFLINE STREAMING
SCREEN
MICKEY MILKOVICH IS BACK ON ‘SHAMELESS’
RANDOM
MUSIC
JACKSON RED LINE BAND
‘JOLENE’ ON ‘THE VOICE’
» LAUREN KOSTIUK DIGITAL CONTENT MANAGER
» ZOË EITEL MANAGING EDITOR
» MEGAN BENNETT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
» LAUREN KOSTIUK DIGITAL CONTENT MANAGER
It’s a miracle! As of Nov. 30, Netflix users can now download their favorite TV shows and movies to watch on their devices. This is perfect for anyone taking a long flight or train ride with no wifi. Subscribers can practically binge anywhere now. The only downside is you can’t download everything, including shows like “Gilmore Girls,” “New Girl” and “Friends,” and downloads expire in 48 hours after you start watching it.
During the Nov. 27 episode of “Shameless,” the lovable South Side bad boy Mickey Milkovich broke out of prison after being incarcerated for attempted murder since the Season 5 finale. Milkovich is one of the most interesting characters on the show, and Season 6 was really missing something without Noel Fisher’s character. I’m so excited he’s back that I’m only a little upset he broke out of prison.
Miley Cyrus and the a capella group Pentatonix accompanied Dolly Parton on a Nov. 28 episode of “The Voice” as she sang her classic country hit. Unfortunately, the new-age background singers took over the entire song, canceling out Parton’s goddaughter Cyrus, and making it frustrating for fans of “Jolene” and the singing icon to hear Parton’s unique voice. Next time, they should just let the country pro perform solo.
Commuting home after a long day of school and work, there is nothing better than hearing the band in the Jackson Red Line station play Motown and Chicago blues hits. Because Jackson is one of the busiest stations, the band receives a lot of attention. I can’t help but dance a little as they groove to the beat. Even with bands changing here and there, they still manage to keep that Chicago vibe going.
DECEMBER 5, 2016 THE CHRONICLE 27
OPINIONS
CPD needs to ‘Be The Change’ M ore minorities will be taking the April 2017 hiring exam for the Chicago Police Department as the result of a city initiative, according an announcement Mayor Rahm Emanuel made on Nov. 18. The initiative, called Be The Change, is intended to increase the department’s diversity—currently 24.7 percent black, 18.8 percent Hispanic and 0.3 percent Asian, according to a September 2015 Governing Magazine article. The initiative encourages minority individuals to take the hiring exam and eventually become police officers. Brown Farmer Media Group, a business operated by women and minorities, is leading the initiative in collaboration with CPD and will have local businesses, colleges, universities, police associations and faith organizations
host recruitment events. To encourage everyone interested to apply, the $30 test fee has been waived, and options for taking the physical fitness test were expanded, according to a Nov. 23 article from ChicagoDefender.com. The majority of local law enforcement positions have historically been held by white men who in turn encourage their children to become police officers, while minority adults and children view law enforcement as oppressive and someplace they do not belong, according to an Aug. 28, 2015, Governing Magazine article. It is important to encourage groups that have been denied access to certain jobs and industries to seek and gain that access. Offering perspectives that were previously silenced, minority individuals deserve to enter any field they are interested in, including law
Educational institutions should be safe havens
M
any times along the campaign trail, President-elect Donald Trump emphasized his strong stance on ending illegal immigration, which included a plan to stop federal funding to “sanctuary cities.” There is no legal definition of sanctuary cities, nor do they have an official status or affiliation. Cities fall under this umbrella if they have policies that protect illegal or undocumented immigrants from having their citizenship status questioned or revealed such as in Chicago and San Francisco. Now, many colleges may be trying to do the same thing for students. Colleges, especially private institutions, need to consider adopting
sanctuary campus policies and implementing them as soon as possible. Connecticut’s Wesleyan University recently announced a sanctuary campus policy that is still in development but would prevent the college from voluntarily assisting the federal government in the deportation of members of its community, according to a Nov. 23 article from The Hartford Courant. Many colleges, both public and private institutions, have undocumented immigrants in attendance, and while these people may face obstacles with respect to admission, tuition and financial aid, their college attendance does not violate state or federal law.
Editorial Board Members Arabella Breck Managing Editor Carolyn Bradley Copy Editor Conrad Queen Marketing Consultant Sarah Impola Graphic Designer Jonathon Sadowski Arts & Culture Reporter
28 THE CHRONICLE DECEMBER 5, 2016
Ariana Portalatin Campus Reporter Eric Bradach Metro Reporter Wesley Herold Photo Editor McKayla Braid Multimedia Reporter
editorial enforcement, and Chicagoans have a right to expect their government to remove institutional barriers. However, the initiative comes at a time when the CPD is currently under investigation for violations of civil rights, a result of the brutal death of Laquan McDonald by a CPD officer and a legacy of racial profiling and police brutality.
not replace the need for reforms in training and reporting systems that must occur for the department to change. Research on the effects of increasing diversity in a police department is not conclusive, and racial bias in policing come less from someone’s personal background and more from the environment in which they are trained
The individuals being hired throughout the next two years should not feel responsible for fixing a broken system. Emanuel appears to be characterizing the city’s efforts as a remedy to this problem and an effort to establish trust between the city and minorities. Minority individuals who are recruited through Be The Change should not be seen as the perfect solution to CPD’s problems. This places expectations on these employees that their white counterparts do not have. While the initiative is the right thing to do, it does
and the tactics they learn, according to an Aug. 22 PBS News article. If CPD is trying to establish a relationship between the community and officers and beginning to rebuild a reputation tarnished because of racism and violence, hiring a diverse group of officers is not the solution to all those issues. The individuals being hired throughout the next two years should not feel responsible for fixing a broken system. Editorial
Because Trump has taken a divisive position on immigration, especially illegal immigration, undocumented students across the country may be uncertain about their educational futures. Establishing a higher education institution as a sanctuary campus is one way universities can show support for undocumented students and distance themselves from policies that will force these students out of this country. Even state colleges can do their part in protecting the education of all students, documented and undocumented. The California State University system has established itself as a welcome place for undocumented students, and the chancellor of the CSU system stated it would not turn over immigration status information unless forced by law, according to a Nov. 22 Atlantic article. This reminder that the system is working for students instead of against
them is sorely needed. There very well may come a day when the CSU system and other colleges are legally forced to turn over students’ immigration status information. However, this should not discourage campuses, and even if the term “sanctuary campus” has no significance greater than showing undocumented students their institution supports them, all higher education institutions should consider declaring themselves sanctuary campuses. As part of this consideration, the members of a college’s community—including faculty, staff and students—should be allowed and encouraged to express their opinions on their college becoming a sanctuary campus before any action is taken. However, any campus community with a humanitarian and caring view of education should have no problem with supporting the education of all people, regardless of their immigration status.
Did you catch a mistake, think we could have covered a story better or have strong beliefs about an issue that faces all of us here at Columbia? Why not write a letter to the editor? At the bottom of Page 2, you’ll find a set of guidelines on how to do this. Let us hear from you. —The Columbia Chronicle Editorial Board
OPINIONS
T commentary
Miss Minnesota loses crown, wins with empowerment » gretchen sterba
OPERATIONS COORDINATOR
he Miss Minnesota USA pageant made history during the Nov. 26–27 contest when the first Hijabi woman competed for the crown. Halima Aden, a 19-year-old from St. Cloud, did not win the competition but accomplished something more rewarding: She inspired Muslim women across the country and embodied changing beauty standards. Aden, who was a refugee in Kenya until the age of six when she moved to the U.S., wore not only a hijab during the contest but strutted across the stage in a burkini for the swimsuit portion. In a Nov. 28 interview with CBS News, Aden said she wanted to use the platform of Miss Minnesota USA to challenge misconceptions about Islam and Muslims. “For a really long time, I thought being different was a negative thing,” Aden told CBS News. “But as I grew older, I started to realize we are all born to stand out. Nobody is born
to blend in. How boring would this world be if everyone was the same?” Wearing a hijab and burkini in an American beauty pageant may be overlooked or even criticized by some, but it is a monumental step for young hijabi women who should be represented in mainstream media. Other parts of the modeling industry have begun to expand traditional views of beauty in the U.S. H&M, the world’s second largest global retailer, launched its September 2015 campaign with its first female Muslim model Mariah Idrissi, a London resident. In a Sep. 27, 2015 article by the Daily Mail U.K., Idrissi said many Muslim women feel ignored in the fashion world. As women like Aden and Idrissi open doors for hijabi women in the U.S. and around to world to accept their beauty and themselves, insistence that these women “fit in” continues. In a Nov. 29 NPR interview, Aden said one of the main criticisms she faced competing in the pageant was that the
rules of the pageant, like the rules of the bikini portion where she wore a burkini, should not change to accommodate her. Similarly, Idrissi said devout Muslim women face issues breaking into the modeling industry, especially runway work, because of the established behavior for runway shows: men helping women change and women walking around backstage without being fully clothed, according to a Jan. 6 article from The Telegraph. The worn-out standards of beauty should be more diverse. White, thin women are not realistic models. Although the fashion world is starting to make progress, rules that confine women like Idrissi and Aden are made to be broken. Aden and Idrissi are influential for being unapologetically themselves, and women around the world should follow that lead to break the rules and succeed in the industries that excite them. gsterba@chroniclemail.com
student poll
What are you doing to get through the last two weeks of the semester?
“I am scheduling my naps and scheduling study time and project time.”
steven traficanti
sophomore radio major
celina falcon
sakyrah morris
freshman audio arts & acoustics major
“I am just remembering to take care of myself.”
“Trying my best to finish my final projects and trying to get through the winter.”
senior advertising major
cartoon
letter to the editor
Reflection on the post-election assembly
I
attended the Provost’s post-election special assembly last week, and I applaud the organizers and all who attended. Many of us are distressed about the ugly nature of the presidential campaign and the vitriol it has unleashed. And we ask ourselves, “Why?” As I look at the world today, I see the actions and words any of us describe as “ugliness” rising from a tangled web of economic “root causes.” This is a time of programmed scarcity. Inequality in the distribution of world resources leads people to blame the “other”—the one of a different color or culture; the one who migrates because world economic policies create havoc in the home culture. Where are good jobs? They are rapidly being replaced by mechanization, yet jobs remain the only sanctioned way to subsist.
The logic of capitalism has become the endless accumulation of more capital. Profits trump all—mergers create huge corporations that limit our choices and destroy our environment; public goods become commodities. Police are given an impossible task—protecting those who have something from those who have little, and until recently, with little societal concern for the methods used. No, economics doesn’t explain everything. But as people begin to recover and as we move to resist and address changes in our society, I think it’s important to understand the larger political and economic context in which we work. Sheila Brady Licensure Officer & Placement Coordinator, Education Department DECEMBER 5, 2016 THE CHRONICLE 29
OPINIONS
30 THE CHRONICLE DECEMBER 5, 2016
METRO
O’Hare workers protest for $15 an hour, union rights » ColumbiaChronicle.com/Multimedia University of Chicago Law welcomed Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards on Nov. 29 to talk about how women’s healthcare will change with Donald Trump as president-elect.
» LOU FOGLIA/CHRONICLE
Planned Parenthood president talks women’s healthcare, ‘fragile’ reproductive rights under Trump » TAYLOR MORRIS
METRO REPORTER AS PRESIDENT-ELECT Donald Trump prepares to take office in January, Cecile Richard President of Planned Parenthood explained » PHOTOS WESLEY HEROLD/CHRONICLE
Demonstrators from the Pro-Life Action League Organization gathered around University of Chicago Law to protest Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood as she spoke about the future of reproductive rights.
that the future of reproductive rights are more fragile than ever before. “When it feels like the rug has somewhat been pulled from underneath us and when the future of reproductive rights in America
is frankly as fragile and more uncertain than any time in my lifetime, there are some signs of hope,” Richards said in the beginning of the lecture. Women’s healthcare and birth control were major topics Richards discussed during the annual Ulysses and Marguerite Schwartz Memorial Lecture Nov. 29 at the University of Chicago Law School, 1111 E. 60th St. Students, teachers, professionals and Chicago residents gathered to hear Richard’s lecture during which she went through the history of reproductive rights and birth control for the future of women. She also explained the importance of the appointment of the next U.S. Supreme Court justice because of the potential reversal of Roe v. Wade. Richards had been invited to address the future of reproductive rights after Trump’s election, since he campaigned for the reversal of Roe v. Wade, and his running mate Mike Pence is opposed to abortion and federal funding of Planned Parenthood. She said although the political climate has changed, there are ways to move forward. Since the election, Richards stated that 260,000 people have made donations of $5 and $10 and noted that appointments for IUDs have gone up 900 percent. “There are some advances in the world that even politics can’t reverse,” she said. “And on
that front, one of my favorites is technology. It gives us an opportunity to reach more people in new ways than never before.” Richards said technology could help women in undeserved areas via telemedicine, which connects patients and doctors hundreds of miles away via video conference, allowing MDs to diagnose conditions and prescribe drugs and devices that can be delivered by airlift. Richards also explained that teenagers have greater access to birth control, and studies show that teens are more likely to delay sexual intercourse because they are more aware of the consequences. Gina Olson, associate director of the Center for Study of Gender and Sexuality at U of C, said the lecture, which took a year to plan, was part of a project that questioned whether Americans, mostly women, are able to exercise their full citizenship if they do not have full rights to reproductive health services. “Pregnancy alone should not determine your future,” she said. “We need to protect birth control, access to abortion and all these healthcare points.” Olson added that Richards, as president of Planned Parenthood and a world leader, is in a unique position to provide an overview of the future of reproductive health. Outside, pro-life supporters surrounded the building, protesting against Richards advocacy for reproductive choice. Protesters from the Pro-Life Action League Organization—a grassroots direct action group involved in public protests, public prayer and organizing nationwide rallies and events—held up signs with pictures of a deceased male fetus that read, “Cecile Richards: What about his future?” Eric Scheidler, executive director of the Pro-life Action League Organization, who expressed the importance of keeping Trump accountable for pro-life stances he discussed during his campaign against prochoice advocate Hillary Clinton, explained that the group reaches out to women considering abortion, offers help and also protests abortion by periodically engaging in political discussions. “Planned Parenthood works very hard to minimize the awareness in the role they play in abortion,” Scheidler said. During the lecture, Richards said nearly 650 Planned Parenthood health centers across the country are continuing to provide healthcare and education. “It’s never been more important to stand up and fight for reproductive rights,” Richards said. “And fight for the future of our country and that’s what we are about doing.” tmorris@chroniclemail.com
DECEMBER 5, 2016 THE CHRONICLE 31
METRO
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»ARABELLA BRECK
MANAGING EDITOR
Children are not to blame in child marriages
B
angladesh is in the process of passing the “Prohibition of Child Marriage Act – 2016” as part of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s promise to end child marriage by 2041, according to a Dec. 2 Financial Express article. Unfortunately, this legislation does very little to protect underage individuals from entering into marriages. Senior Researcher with the Women’s Rights Division of Human Rights Watch Heather Barr said in a Dec. 1 announcement that if the proposed law is passed, it will be a huge step backward for women's and girls' rights in Bangladesh. The act advocates against underage individuals entering into marriages but provides certain concerning exceptions including an “accidental or unlawful pregnancy," according to the Financial Express article. Bangladeshi lawmakers must be aware that this exception could lead to young girls being raped, impregnated and forced into a technically legal child marriage. If an "accidental or unlawful" pregnancy does occur, the government should protect that individual from being manipulated and forced into a marriage, instead of facilitating it. Besides not protecting individuals who are under the age of consent, this legislation actually punishes children for entering into relationships that are obvious human rights violations. One stipulation of the proposed law punishes children who enter into marriages when they are underage with a possible 15 days in prison or a fine if their marriage does not fall under the exceptions, according to Barr. This perpetuates victim-blaming instead of placing rightful blame on the perpetrator of the crime. These children are not at fault for entering into marriages at a young age. The adults who coerce children into relationships and marriages and take them away from an education, family and a healthy childhood are the ones who need to face jail time or fines if Bangladesh is going to be serious
about ending child marriage by 2041— or at any time. Starting Nov. 25 and culminating on Dec. 10, International Human Rights Day, the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence Campaign takes place. The campaign, started by Center for Women's Global Leadership, shares stories of activists around the world fighting gender-based violence and encouraging policymakers to introduce and pass laws that expand the rights of all individuals, including women and girls. This draft legislation's approval by the parliament and cabinet on the eve of the campaign is painfully ironic. Child marriage is one of the many ways gender-based violence is expressed, and for Bangladesh to consider this law that does nothing to end child marriage, sends a message of disempowerment to women and girls in Bangladesh and around the world and is extremely disheartening. If this legislation passes, similar legislation could pass in other countries on the edge of allowing child marriage to continue. Laws allowing child marriage to continue must be stopped in the early stages of their passage. The global community must view these laws through a critical lens and not take them at the face value of a name like the "Prohibition of Child Marriage Act – 2016." abreck@chroniclemail.com
METRO
O’Hare workers join Fight for 15 » COURTNEY WOLFE METRO REPORTER A PEACEFUL CROWD of airport workers and supporters gathered outside O’Hare International Airport Nov. 29, carrying signs demanding a $15 minimum wage and union rights as a part of Fight for 15. Nov. 29 marked the fourth year of Fight for 15, a nationwide movement in which fast food employees, Uber drivers and other minimum wage workers hold protests calling for a $15 minimum wage and additional benefits. “The wages we make in these companies are not worth the sweat, blood and tears that we provide,” said Oliwia Pac, a 24-yearold O’Hare employee whose job includes security services, caring for unaccompanied minors and wheelchair service.
Pac said O’Hare workers decided to strike for a $15 minimum wage, union rights and benefits after management refused to meet with them about those issues. “They just don’t want to listen,” Pac said. “I’ve had my wages stolen; I’ve been injured on the
job—getting sick is very easy here as well—and they didn’t want to do anything about it, so all the workers here at the airport chose to come together and go on strike to make sure our voices are heard.” Local minimum wage workers, like 28-year-old Taco Bell employee Asia Simmons, also came to O’Hare to join the national protest. “Who can live off $8.25? $10.50 is better, but the $15 will help a lot of the people, [especially those]
» WESLEY HEROLD/CHRONICLE
Airport employees and other minimum wage workers gathered outside of O’Hare International Airport Nov. 29 to fight for a $15 minimum wage.
who are single parents,” Simmons said. “I’m a single parent; I have a kid at home, and it’s hard to take care of her and pay the rent and do everything that she needs done. Kids cost a lot of money, so it’s worth [fighting] for more because we work hard for everything we do and we just want pay that equals.” Currently, the federal minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, the Illinois minimum wage is $8.25 an hour and the Chicago minimum wage is $10.50 an hour. According to the City of Chicago website, minimum wage in the city will rise to $11 an hour effective July 1, 2017, $12 in 2018 and $13 in 2019. Kisha Rivera, a cabin cleaner at O’Hare, said she is concerned about the treatment of the employees at the international airport as well as the low minimum wage and expressed concern that some minimum wage workers still need government benefits to get by. “Why live on welfare, why live on the system, when you have a 40-hour job?” Rivera said. “It’s just not right.”
While the U.S. is one of the most wealthy countries in the world, 51 percent of the country earns under $30,000 a year, according to Steven Ashby, a 61-year-old professor of labor studies at the University of Illinois who came to O’Hare to stand in solidarity with the protesting workers from different areas throughout Chicago. Ashby added that every other wealthy country has a minimum wage 50-100 percent greater than the U.S. “We have so much pride in America for good reason, but not in how we treat our workers,” Ashby said. In the U.S., 29 states have a higher minimum wage than the current federal mandate, according to Ashby, and several state referendums passed raising the minimum wage. “[Labor activists and organized workers] have already accomplished a tremendous amount in city after city,” he said. cwolfe@chroniclemail.com
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34 THE CHRONICLE DECEMBER 5, 2016
METRO
Activists share doubts on CPD’s diversity outreach IN AN EFFORT to increase diversity in the Chicago Police Department, the city will increase outreach and create a recruitment campaign to encourage more minority individuals to apply for CPD’s April 2017 entrance exam, according to a Nov. 22 press release from Mayor Rahm Emanuel. “I have people in minority communities always asking, ‘Can we have more officers in our community that look like us?’” said CPD Superintendent Eddie Johnson when he presented the department’s new Use of Force policy Nov. 29, as reported on the Front Page. “If you want to be part of the change, take the [entrance exam], come on to the department and I will put you in that neighborhood.”
To market this campaign, called Be the Change, Chicago has partnered with the Brown Farmer Media Group, a minority- and woman-owned communications firm, according to the press release. “We look forward to working closely with key [local] organizations to reach diverse communities and help spread the word,” Deborah Olivia Farmer, president of BFMG stated in the press release. Both BFMG and city representatives did not respond for comment as of press time. Rev. Christopher Griffin, a member of the Community Renewal Society—an organization that advocates for social justice—said a balance of racial and ethnic backgrounds in the police department is necessary, and the demographics of the department should reflect the city’s.
Chicago Police Department, courtesy of Police Accountability Task Force
» SARAH IMPOLA/CHRONICLE
According to the 2014 American Community Survey, Chicago is 32.2 percent white, 31.5 percent black, 28.9 percent Hispanic. In comparison, CPD was 52 percent white, 23 percent black and 21 percent Hispanic in 2014, according to an April 2016 report from the Police Accountability Task Force. CPD did not provide official data as of press time.
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Damon Williams, co-founder and co-director of the #LetUsBreathe Collective—an activist organization seeking police accountability and political reform—said a more diverse police force could make trust issues between the community and CPD worse because it can subdue public criticism. “Putting black and brown faces into a violent and racist system is
a method to validate and protect [those in power],” Williams said. According to CPD’s website, the entrance exam is scheduled to take place April 1–2 at McCormick Place, 2301 S. King Drive. Applications, due Jan. 31, will require applicants to be 18 years of age by April 30. They are also required to have 60 semester hours from an accredited
SEE DIVERSITY, PAGE 39
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City reaches milestone in small business support » COURTNEY WOLFE METRO REPORTER ELEVEN YEARS AGO, Jeawoo Kim opened beauty store Wig Town in the Bronzeville neighborhood with $5,000 borrowed from a friend. With hard work and an understanding of what customers wanted, Kim gradually increased his inventory and grew his business, he said. However, Kim said he was looking for ways to invest more in his
business, and a high interest, cash advance loan meant large weekly payments. Seeking an alternative, Kim applied for a Chicago Small Business Opportunity Centers Program Small Business Administration Community Advantage loan and received $130,000. “Now there’s much less interest [and fewer] payments every month,” Kim said. “I feel much better now, and I’m purchasing the building [where Wig Town is located].”
Wig Town, 126 E. 47th St., was the 100th business to receive a loan through the city’s Small Business Opportunity Center Program, according to a Nov. 22 press release from Mayor Rahm Emanuel. “It’s a great program, and [for] people like me who don’t know what to do, there is a really good opportunity there,” Kim said. The program has connected businesses with approximately $7 million since launching last year, according to the press release. Three out of four businesses that apply for a loan through SBOC receive funding, while only one in five small businesses receive the loans they apply for through large banks, the press release added. » GABRIEL DE LA MORA/CHRONICLE
Florence Hardy, director of the Small Business Development Center at the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, said small businesses are essential to Chicago’s economy, and it is important to support them. “Most of the jobs to be had are in small businesses,” Hardy said. “You want to ensure small businesses have the resources they need to grow, to become the bigger businesses that they can become and to continue to generate economic output for the region.” According to the press release, the Small Business Opportunity Center Program launched with eight community partners in 2015, with a founding partnership with Citibank. Three partners were added earlier this year, increasing the total number to 11. The mayor’s press office did not respond to requests for comment as of press time. “There’s a lot of room for growth in strengthening the local economy and strengthening local
businesses,” said Megan Kruis, managing director of Local First Chicago, a nonprofit that promotes the benefits of locally owned, independent businesses. “One of the clearest reasons for a strong local business economy is local businesses contribute a lot more to their communities than chain businesses do.” Kruis said these contributions to the community come in the form of wages, donations and purchases from other businesses. “Local business owners care for their communities, so when we’re all neighbors, it’s really great to support each other,” Kruis said. Kim suggested to improve the Small Business Opportunity Center, the city should promote it more, so more small business owners are aware of the resources available to them. “I really hope more people out there, people like me, know more about [the program] and use it more,” Kim said. cwolfe@chroniclemail.com
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Wicker Park, Bucktown plant ‘greener’ neighorhoods » TAYLOR MORRIS METRO REPORTER IN AN EFFORT to replace trees killed by a beetle infestation, 86 new ones were planted in Bucktown and Wicker Park, according to a Nov. 3 press release from The Silverman Group Inc., a Chicago public relations firm. The trees, which cost $100,000, were planted with funding from the Wicker Park Bucktown Special Service Area #33 and a taxpayer-funded commission, according to the press release. Steven Jensen, a lifelong
Bucktown resident and president of the neighborhood’s community organization, said Emerald Ash Borer disease killed most of the trees in the area. The damage is caused by a green jewel beetle burrowing its way through trees horizontally and cutting the flow of nutrients to the top of the tree, which eventually kills the tree. Planting the new trees will benefit the environment and local community, he said. “Every tree that’s planted in our community is going to be around for 80 years, and it provides nothing but value,” he said. “There’s
nothing to be gained out of these trees except positive things.” Jensen added that the trees will make Chicago a greener city, as well as help the urban landscape. “When you lose a lot of tree cover, and you expose a lot of rooftops and a lot of pavement and asphalt and concrete, the heat tends to rise. So more shade [results in] a greener city,” he explained. The planting costs include removing of old tree stumps, purchasing new trees, and labor and permit costs, according to the press release. The trees provide environmental services worth $120,000 such as reducing stormwater runoff, providing summer cooling as well as lowering urban heat effect, improving air quality, and
conserving energy, according to the press release. Jessica Wobbekind, Wicker Park Bucktown Special Services Area #33 program manager, said the trees give a nice boulevard-like look to the neighborhood. “They provide environmental benefits,” she said. “They reduce stress, and it’s something that’s really important to our commission and also our community.” Wobbekind also said Wicker Park and Bucktown residents have supported the tree plantation project and the Bucktown Community Organization. Tree types planted include Kentucky Coffee, Little Leaf Linden, Hackberry, Black Locust, Chanticleer Pear and Honey Locust, the press release stated.
Brent Norsman, owner of Norsman Architects, Ltd. and volunteer chair of the Wicker Park Bucktown SSA #33, explained that SSA values the urban forest and said the tree project is a longterm investment. “We plan on committing to planting more trees in the future,” he said. “I personally would like to see far more than we’re planting this year.” Planting the trees is the largest WPB SSA #33 project since 2013, when 41 tress were planted, according to the press release. “We are really excited about this project,” Wobbekind said. “It’s the biggest tree planting we’ve done, and our goal is to continue planting trees in the coming years.” tmorris@chroniclemail.com
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METRO JOHNSON, FROM FRONT
The new policy would also require CPD officers to offer medical aid to those injured in a use of force incident and intervene on a victim’s behalf when they observe policy violations. The policy also creates a minimum 30-day administrative duty assignment for officers involved in a shooting incident. According to Kirkpatrick, every officer will be trained in the policy before it goes in effect. Three hundred of the approximately 12,500 CPD officers would be trained at a time because of limited space, and all officers would be required to undergo a 16-hour de-escalation training course. Emilie Junge, an attorney who attended the presentation, said she was not impressed by the new policy proposal and has doubts whether CPD officers and the police union will take the de-escalation training seriously. “The guidelines do not seem [like] that much of a change,” Junge said. The progress of police de-escalation training and accountability
DIVERSITY, FROM PAGE 35
policies has been too slow, according to Junge. She also said the department should emphasize more training on dealing with citizens with mental illness. Kirkpatrick said engaging appropriately with people who suffer from mental illness will be a priority in the 16-hour de-escalation course. CPD also has a goal to have 35 percent of its sworn staff undergo a 40-hour “crisis intervention” course, which will go into more depth on interacting with citizens with mental illness. Junge said Johnson making the policy draft public and allowing the community to give feedback is something that should be acknowledged. However, she said the police union might act as a barrier to implementing effective change. “The public will have a role in [the policy],” Junge said. “Whether it changes depends on whether [the public] is willing to stand up to a police union that is little more than an organization that protects police at all costs.”
Johnson said a police officer’s work has never been easy. As a 28-year veteran, he said he knows an officer must make split-second decisions, and some of those decisions have faced criticism. “Unfortunately, some folks in society feel police have not been responsive enough, and sometimes, police feel they are not supported enough,” said Chris Robling, a senior counselor of ULC. At the end of the presentation, despite some criticism from event attendees, Johnson remained firm that the policies and training of CPD will result in effective law enforcement and is optimistic about the future. “Regardless of what happens across the country and what the next administration brings, we are going to move forward with reform,” Johnson said. “When we get done with this, we want CPD to be a model agency for law enforcement across the country.” ebradach@chroniclemail.com
college or university, three years of active military duty, or a combination of the two. CPD is planning to hire 970 police officers over the next two years—as reported Sept. 26 by The Chronicle—and, to encourage more applicants to take the hiring test, the city has increased accessibility. The previously required $30 fee has been waived, and an opt-in text and email reminder to keep candidates engaged during the recruitment period will be provided, according to the press release. Griffin said he does not think increasing diversity within CPD addresses the department’s issues entirely, but it could benefit cultural awareness and sensitivity. He said improving diversity within the police force would allow other officers to interact with different races and cultural groups, which could create a stronger understanding toward them. “[Diversity] brings some good things to the table, [however], it is just one of those steps,” Griffin said.
Griffin said because of the miscommunication and distrust between the African-American community and the police, both sides should reach out, but it should start with the police. Police used to attend neighborhood gatherings, according to Griffin, adding that he would like to see more of that today. “On every police car, [it says], ‘serve and protect,’” Griffin said. “Serving goes beyond just responding to a 911 call.” Williams acknowledged CPD’s outreach efforts and said it is better to have a more diverse police force rather than a homogeneous one. However, he added that instead of hiring more police, Chicago and the nation should invest those resources in other areas, such as education and job creation. “It is difficult and frustrating when the conversation of policing shifts away from the structural problems and violence that police have upheld,” Williams said. ebradach@chroniclemail.com
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